


no matter where life leads us, we'll never be apart

by AuraSweet13



Category: Spiritfarer (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Spoilers for Atul's departure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraSweet13/pseuds/AuraSweet13
Summary: After the big feast she helped plan with Atul, Stella catches him sneaking away in the dead of night. A oneshot I wrote because I needed the closure.
Relationships: Atul & Stella (Spiritfarer)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	no matter where life leads us, we'll never be apart

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't gotten to Atul's departure yet, please don't read this.

Stella was laying in her bed, still riding high from the meal she had helped Atul plan. Seeing the smile on his face, as well as on the faces of Astrid, Stanley and Gustav, was all she could have ever asked for.

The ship was put together well, but it still had creaky spots, especially near the rowboat. She heard it creak, and her eyes opened. Slowly, she sat up and got out of bed, Daffodil dutifully following behind her.

\------

To say she was surprised to see Atul about to climb down the boat into the water would be an understatement. “Uncle Atul?” She asked, watching as he froze at the sound of her voice. “Where are you going? It’s the middle of the night.”

“I know, Sprout.” He said, and turned to look at her. Atul looked conflicted, like he wasn’t sure what to do or say next. “I’m ready to go to the Everdoor now, but I didn’t want to bother you. And since I can swim, I thought…”

“You thought you’d take yourself there?” Stella finished, and he nodded. She walked over to him and gave him a big hug-one that he returned without hesitation. “Uncle, you’ll never be bothering me, especially not for something like this. It’s my job to take you, all of you, to the Everdoor when you’re ready, so please let me do that for you?” She pulled back to look up at him with pleading eyes. He was her first mate, he couldn’t just leave without saying goodbye-but if he wanted to go, the least she could do was accompany him there. “We can bring some pork chops for the journey! I’d say fried chicken, but the pork chops are already made, and the fried chicken takes too long, anyway.”

His gaze filled with shiny tears, and he let out a soft laugh as he nodded. “Okay, Sprout. You win.” He said, and then climbed down into the boat.

Stella was right behind him with the plate of pork chops for them to share, Daffodil settled on her shoulder.

\------

All the trips to the Everdoor thus far had been difficult ones. But this one was probably the most difficult one so far. Still, she tried to keep her expression neutral.

“This is why I wanted to come on my own, Sprout.” Atul said, breaking her out of her thoughts as they both continued to dig into the pork chops. “I don’t like seeing you sad.”

“I always get sad when I’m taking someone I care about here.” Stella told him. “But I’m also happy, because if you’re ready to go, that means I’m doing my job right.”

“You definitely are, Sprout.” He smiled ever so slightly. “I’ve loved you ever since you were born, you know.” Atul said simply, and she smiled. “You were such a happy baby, bright and laughing all the time...I guess that hasn’t really changed much. In fact, I think it’s more obvious now than it was back then.” He paused again. “I didn’t take care of myself, Sprout. In life, I mean. It wore on my family, including my brother…”

Her dad. “I know.” Stella murmured in understanding. She knew that sometimes the spirit just needed to talk about things before they went through the Everdoor. When that happened, she tried to say very little to give them that peace of mind

“I regret it every day, because it meant I was taken from my wife and daughter long before I was supposed to be.” Atul said. “But being here, with you, on the open seas, getting to eat so much delicious food, prepared by someone who cares so much about everyone around her...it makes the sting hurt a little less. I’ve had so much fun with you, Stella.”

Stella’s eyes burned with tears but she blinked them away. “I’ve had fun with you too, Uncle Atul. I’ve thought a lot about what you asked me a while ago and...you’ve been my first mate since you first stepped onto the ship. I’m sorry I never told you before now. There was just so much to do…”

He beamed at her, and her heart warmed at the sight. She didn’t like seeing him sad, either. “I knew it! Giovanni didn’t believe me when I told him, but I knew.” He went serious then, and Stella was almost painfully aware of the fact that they were starting to pass through the arch now. Atul didn’t follow her gaze though, just kept his eyes on her. “Will you continue to catch lightning in bottles when I’m gone?”

Without hesitation, Stella nodded as she looked back at him. “Of course I will.” She said. In all honesty, she had a lot of fun whenever she did that, so agreeing to keep doing it wasn’t difficult at all. “You can have the last pork chop if you want. I’ll take the plate back with me when I go.” Voicing it made it painfully real, but ignoring it for as long as she had hadn’t done her any good, either, so maybe giving voice to it would fix that.

Giving her another beaming smile, he downed the pork chop in one gulp and set the plate aside, standing up.

Instantly, she bolted across the small rowboat to wrap him in the biggest hug that she could. Again, he returned it with zero hesitation. “I love you so much, Uncle Atul.” She whispered.

“I love you too, Stella. Favourite niece of mine.” He said, and for a ghost of a second she swore she felt lips press to her forehead as he pulled back.

By now she had grown quite accustomed to the sight of her friends, people she cared about, crossing over, which was why she didn’t look away even as the light that engulfed him nearly blinded her.

And then she was alone on the boat with Daffodil and an empty plate of pork chops. Using the back of her hand, she wiped a few stray tears away, then sat back down and started to row back to the ship.

She still had work to do.

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to write this. It needed to be done, because I was devastated when I lost him without so much as a goodbye hug. And...I actually feel better about it after writing this. I love this game more than words can describe, even if it does emotionally destroy me.


End file.
